Wow, August really got away from me. I’m sorry I didn’t check in here more often! The month was just crammed full of summer:

swimming whenever and wherever we could,

having our first lemonade (and tattoo!) stand,

playing games on too hot days (games mama made!),

and riding roller coasters for the first time!

How was your summer? Over too fast? Too ridiculously hot? Busy? Lazy? I want to hear from all of you! I’ve missed being here and I’m glad to be back.

I never seem to remember to buy sidewalk chalk, but we always have the ingredients on hand for chalk paint. Making chalk paint is super easy; drawing with chalk paint takes a bit of practice.

Our first attempt turned out mostly colorful blobs, but the second time was a success. I was doodling quilt squares [sewing nerd!] and my kids wanted to learn how to make them too. They told me their log cabins had roofs, obviously.

chalk paint

materials

• muffin tin
• corn starch
• food coloring (the cheapy kind, not the gel kind)
• water

directions

1. Put one tablespoon of corn starch in each muffin tin cup.
2. Mix in a tablespoon of water (or a smidge more) into each cup.
3. Put one drop of food coloring in each cup.
4. Mix well.
5. Grab a paint brush and go outside!

Be warned, fingers and toes will get painted.

But other cool stuff will be painted too!

Making hula hoops is surprisingly simple and cheap to boot: some polyurethane pipe, a connector, and duct tape. Done.

I scanned some random directions quickly when I was in the hardware store, but there are many good tutorials for making hula hoops out there. This video by Elizabeth Mitchel–who is awesome by the way–tells you how it’s done.

I looked around for a pretty system to use for chores this summer (something like this, or this, or this) but in the end everyone got a list on a sticky note. Sometimes easy is better than pretty. They get a new list everyday, except Sunday, with two or three things on it depending on our schedule. Picking up toys, brushing teeth, getting dressed, etc. are not chores, just things they are responsible for everyday. Our chores are more like this:

for the 6 1/2 year old:

• cleaning the bathroom (with a squirt bottle filled with vinegar and water)
• sweeping
• washing the floors
• doing dishes
• folding towels and sheets and putting them away
• weeding
• + any thing else the younger set can do

for the 5 year old:

• vacuuming (his favorite)
• taking out the garbage
• wiping down the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher
• emptying the dishwasher
• folding clothes and putting them away
• + anything his younger brother can do

for the almost 3 year old:

• crushing cans (I was surprised he could even do this!)
• wiping off the table
• folding napkins and rags
• bringing in the groceries
• feeding the dog
• watering the plants

Honestly, I had been doing most (umm, all) of the chores because I thought it was easier and faster to do it myself. Well that was stupid. My kids do whatever is on their list and almost never complain that their chores are too hard. Complaining happens for other reason, for sure, but not because the work is difficult. As long as I mix it up enough they are happy to do their jobs. Do you have any good ideas for chores little kids can do?

I could have called this post, Sugar Free! Grain Free! Gluten Free! Vegan! All Natural! Possibly Organic! Ice Cream! Because this ice cream is actually all of those things.  If you take all the exclamation points away though this ice cream is frozen bananas in your blender.  And frozen bananas in your blender makes some seriously awesome ice cream! Damn another exclamation point snuck in there.

Banana ice cream is so dead easy, you really don’t need a recipe, but this is how it goes. Peel a banana (or 10), cut it (or don’t), put it in the freezer. Then go about your day. When you remember there are bananas in your freezer, take them out and put them in your food processor (or blender). Push the button. 5 minutes later you will have something very much like ice cream. You can also add a few tablespoons of peanut butter–which is delicious–or a handful of frozen berries, or really anything your little heart desires: chopped nuts, chocolate chips, pretzels, granola.

Every time we make it (and we make it a lot) it’s different. Last night we mixed in almond butter and made some Magic Shell to go on top. Do you remember magic shell? I was crazy for the stuff when I was a kid. I don’t know how I got my mother to buy it–I must have somehow snuck it into our grocery cart. It seems odd and chemically and not at all natural, right? Actually you can make it with two things: chocolate and coconut oil. I melted a bar of dark chocolate, which is about 4 oz, and added 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Mix until everything is smooth and melty. You are now the most awesome mom in the world (until you tell them it’s time for bed).

One more thing: don’t store your magic shell in the fridge or it will magically turn hard as a rock.